Poetry Open Mic Night at Stellar Cafe expands horizons

Poets from all over Texas come to Stellar Cafe every third Thursday to make their voices heard at the coffee shop’s Poetry Open Mic night.

The cozy cafe is a perfect atmosphere for poets to express their works and surround themselves in the words of others. With a cup of hot chocolate and a comfy chair, Stellar Poetry Open Mic Night is a nice way to end a long school day.

Michaela Kelton, owner, said Stellar Cafe has hosted the open mic night since November 2015.

“We started Poetry Night last November with the help of Kayla Brown, our host, and will continue to do so every third Thursday of the month,” Kelton said.

Stellar Cafe employees are always looking for events and ways to get involved in the community, Kelton said.

“Kayla approached me about having an event at the cafe,” Kelton said. “She was able to get quite a few poets together and an audience followed.”

Kelton said the event gives poets a place to express themselves while sharing their works and opinions.

“The more art, events and culture a community has, the better,” Kelton said. “It helps get people together and to get involved.”

Kayla Brown, Poetry Open Mic Night host, said she created the event to form a literary community of all ages and skill levels.

“It a great place to make friends and share a common interest with such diverse styles and backgrounds,” Brown said. “I always walk away with a new spark of love for poetry.”

Brown said running the event has been an ongoing process. She often takes time throughout the week to promote the event on social media and inspire writers to showcase their works.

Brown said the event is important because it helps foster a creative outlet for the community to participate in and enjoy.

“In participating, not only are we supporting a local business, we are also supporting and encouraging local bards in their creative journey,” Brown said.

Brown said she hopes more people will participate in the event as the years pass.

“People should participate in open mic night to share and encourage the expression of verbal art with fellow friends and San Martians,” Brown said.

Aaron Michael, event attendee, said the first open mic night he attended inspired him to go to the event again in the future.

“I had a really great time just listening to everybody speak their works,” Michael said. “I liked getting a little glimpse into that person’s soul and their world with every breath they take.”

Michael said he saw a promotional poster around Stellar Cafe and thought it would be interesting to see what an open mic night was all about.

“I always wanted to go to one, but I just never had the time,” Michael said. “I will, however, try to go to as many as I can this year to see some of my favorite performers again and see what new performers share their works with us.”

Michael said the event gave him a newfound appreciation for poetry. He plans to find new artists to learn from their works.

“Who knows? Maybe in a couple of months I’ll be up on that stage if the inspiration strikes,” Michael said. “But, for now, I am content just listening to these spectacular artists.”